As computer (including a desktop computer, a notebook computer or a server) generally installs at least one hard disk, and each hard disk includes a master boot sector (which is the sector with Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 1 of a hard disk as specified by the computer industrial standard, and also is the forefront sector of the hard disk). The master boot sector stores a master boot record (MBR), and the master boot record includes a jump area at a start position of the MBR boot code area and a MBR boot code area of a boot code sequentially for specifying and reading a hard disk, a partition table area for storing each disk partition table, and an end area (represented by two bytes AA 55) for identifying the end of the master boot sector. If the hard disk is set as a master hard disk for starting an operating system, then the operating system will be started according to the contents of the master boot record, and thus the computer can store data into the hard disk after the operating system is started.
However, computers are stolen quite often, and the loss involved is usually much higher than the value of the computer itself, since the important and confidential data stored in the hard disk may be disclosed. Particularly for corporate users, the loss or disclosure of data in the hard disk to a competitor may create a big trouble to the company. In view of the aforementioned issue, system manufacturers developed a data protection method for protecting the data in a hard disk and preventing disclosure of confidential data stored in the hard disk.
In the foregoing data protection method for hard disks, a password protection program (such as a user password provided by Microsoft operating system) is added into the operating system, so that after the computer starts booting the operating system, executes the password protection program, and requests a user to enter a password, the password protection program requires a receipt of a correct password before permitting a user to logon the operating system or a decoding/encoding program of the operating system to access data in the hard disk. If the password protection program has not received a correct password, the user will not be able to logon the operating system or access data in the hard disk, so as to achieve the effect of protecting data in the hard disk.
However, an unauthorized person can install a stolen hard disk to another computer and use another hard disk of such computer to start another operating system, and then use a recovery tool or a hacker tool to enter into the hard disk of the stolen computer and access data in the hard disk of the stolen computer. Therefore, a hard disk of this type does not have any protection measure at all, and the data in the hard disk of the stolen computer can be accessed by a thief or an unauthorized person. In other words, the present hard disks do not have good data protection.